Vice-Chancellor joins Mauritius call for women leaders in STEM

26/07/2015

Professor Tim Blackman encouraged more diverse scientific communities while speaking at the Future Women Leaders in STEM week in Mauritius

The vital role science teachers play in encouraging more girls into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers was celebrated by Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Blackman in Mauritius.

The STEP ceremony for 100 Mauritian school girls closed the week-long Future Women Leaders in STEM event, designed to help girls learn more about careers in science and technology and ‘inspire the Mauritian scientific leaders of tomorrow’.

“Just as Africa can leapfrog the developed world by developing sustainable science and technology from scratch, it can leapfrog the developed world by growing diverse scientific communities,” said Professor Blackman.

Also speaking at the event was the President of Mauritius Her Excellency Dr Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Professor Kaushick Basu, and Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare Hon Marie-Aurore Marie-Joyce Perraud.

The previous day they had officiated at the Middlesex University Mauritius Branch Campus graduation, where the President of Mauritius and council members of the Planet Earth Institute Foundation received honorary degrees alongside 200 graduating students.

Earlier in the week, Professor Blackman visited the site of the University’s new campus in Flic-en-Flac, meeting with the University’s partner and STEP sponsors Medine.

The development is scheduled to be completed in September 2017 and will provide students with the best higher education facilities in Mauritius.